Learning Sparks

Igniting curiosity and progress while helping children learn with confidence

Issue 002 | When Children Avoid Reading, It’s Not Laziness

One thing I want to gently reframe today is this idea that children avoid reading because they don’t want to.

In most cases, avoidance isn’t about effort.
It’s about how reading makes them feel.

I often hear parents say,
“They’ll do anything except read.”
“They rush through books.”
“They avoid reading out loud.”

And what’s underneath that behaviour is rarely laziness.
It’s usually discomfort, uncertainty, or fear of getting it wrong.

When children avoid reading, it can be a sign that:

Avoidance is often a protective response.
Children pull back from what feels unsafe.

Many children are placed at a reading “level”, but stamina is just as important.

Stamina is the ability to:

Without stamina, reading feels exhausting.
And when something feels exhausting, children naturally avoid it.

Instead of pushing longer reading sessions, try this shift:

Confidence grows when reading feels achievable again.

Not perfect.
Not pressured.
Just possible.

A Reminder for Parents

Your child doesn’t need to love reading overnight.
They need to feel safe enough to try.

Progress in learning is rarely loud.
It’s built quietly, through consistency, encouragement, and belief.

And when confidence returns, progress follows naturally.

Coming Next

In the next issue, I’ll be sharing:

Thank you for staying connected to your child’s learning journey with intention and care.

That choice alone makes a difference.

Warmly,
Alero

Founder, Free Readers